"Thoughts"
The echo of my footsteps resonated in the halls, but it wasn't my own sound that unsettled me the most. It was the strange feeling gnawing at my skin. The same one I'd had in the subway: that invisible yet palpable presence that now seemed to cling to my back like a shadow. Chloe. The gaze she had fixed on me was not that of a normal girl.
I reached my classroom with an accelerated pulse, almost breathless. I slumped into my usual seat. Classes ran their course, but I couldn't concentrate. My mind returned again and again to Chloe, to her smile, to the strength of her grip. And that made me wonder what had caused that change in her attitude.
During lunch, my anxiety only grew. I always ate alone, in a secluded corner of the cafeteria, observing everyone else. And there she was. Chloe. Sitting at her usual table with her group of popular friends, laughing, chatting.
So normal. Or was she? For an instant, just as I looked up, I felt her eyes fixed on mine. It was a fleeting moment, a fraction of a second, but it was enough for a chill to run down my spine. She quickly turned away, resuming the conversation with her friends, but I knew she had seen me: that damned look again.
The rest of the classes passed normally, but every time the door opened, a shiver ran down my spine. Every time someone walked past my seat, I tensed up.
It was a feeling of being trapped, of being the prey. And the worst part was that I couldn't explain it to anyone. How could I tell my parents that my kind neighbor, the most popular girl in school, was stalking me? They would think I was crazy.
Finally, the dismissal bell rang. A momentary relief. Maybe if I was quick, I could slip away. I got up from my seat before the teacher finished their sentence and headed for the door, almost running.
(T/N) "Faster! Before she sees me!"
But I wasn't fast enough.
— Chloe: (T/N)!
Her voice froze me in my tracks. I turned slowly, swallowing hard. There she was, standing at the classroom entrance, with a radiant smile and her arms crossed. She looked perfect, like a doll. And that perfection was what terrified me most.
— Chloe: I told you I'd wait for you at the entrance. But something in my head told me that maybe you would try to escape. Were you leaving without me? — Her tone was playful, but her eyes were not.
(T/N) "Don't be stupid, tell her you were going to the restroom or something! Invent an excuse!"
— (T/N): Oh, I'm sorry, Chloe. It's just... uhm... I was going to the library for some books, but, if you want, we can go together.
Chloe's smile widened, and something about it chilled my blood. It was as if she had won.
— Chloe: That's great! I'm glad you hadn't completely forgotten. Come on, I'll walk with you.
(T/N): "Damn it! The library? Why did I say the library? Now I'll have to go and pretend to look for something. This girl is... too much. It seems there's no escape."
We started walking down the hallway. People stared at us, some with surprise, others with envy. I felt that, if it weren't for my panic, this would be the scene of a nightmare.
As we walked, Chloe didn't stop talking. About her classes, her friends, how excited she was about the upcoming school festival. I barely responded, my mind in a whirlwind of thoughts. The way her eyes constantly flickered to me, as if to make sure I was still there. The small distance she maintained between us, always the same, neither too close nor too far. It was as if she were sizing me up.
We reached the library. The place, usually filled with tranquility, now felt like a trap.
— (T/N): Well, I'm looking for some... science books.
— Chloe: Shall I help you look?
(T/N) "No, don't help me! Please, just leave me alone!"
She headed straight for the science section. I followed her, feeling the librarian's eyes on us, probably wondering what Chloe was doing in the "nerds'" section.
We were there for about ten minutes, with Chloe asking questions about how my day had been and if I had talked to anyone else besides her, and me giving vague answers. My heart was pounding. I felt that with every second I spent next to her, the rope around my neck tightened a little more.
— (T/N): I finally managed to grab a random book. Chloe, uhm... I found what I was looking for. I think we should go.
She looked at me with that smile I was beginning to hate, a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
— Chloe: Of course, (T/N). Let's go home. Together.
And so, with the useless book clutched against my chest, we left the library. The feeling of being watched hadn't diminished. In fact, it had gotten stronger. It was as if Chloe had stopped being just a girl and transformed into the embodiment of my worst nightmare, one that would follow me everywhere, one that would never let me go.
(T/N) "This is not the adventure I had wished for. This is the beginning of my doom."
Author's Note:
I honestly don't know what I'll do with this novel, but I'll try to upload as many chapters as possible